FADS Illinois welcomes the new Park Ridge Studio!

    Once in your life you get an opportunity to seize a decision by the horns and run in a direction that you never thought possible. Adrian and I were offered that opportunity 6 months ago and we are so thrilled to announce that we became the proud owners of the 7th Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Illinois, located in Park Ridge on July 23^rd, 2014. As nervous as we felt, we were also incredibly humbled and honored to have been offered the opportunity through our regional director Rae Josephs and our training director Jesse DeSoto.

    Adrian and I have each spent four a half years as instructors enriching the lives of our students through the gift and joy of dance, as well as furthering our own education in this amazing art form that we have so much passion for. We taught at the Buffalo Grove and West Loop studios respectively and couldn’t be more proud to work for a company that promotes a sense of Family and Values not only to their staff but to their students as well. It is rare to truly enjoy what you do for a living and Adrian and I can safely say that we rarely feel like we spend a day at “work”. We are beyond excited in taking on this new adventure and we can’t wait to get a chance to meet some wonderful new students from the Park Ridge area and create confidence in them to become great social dancers. Please come by to visit our studio!

Why do I need group classes and practice parties?

So you have taken a couple private lessons and now you are thinking about group classes! Good!!! Whatever you are wondering about group classes and parties, you will find answers only by trying it at least a few times. Group classes are wonderful because fellow students at Fred Astaire Dance Studios are very supportive and encouraging.  They have faced and will face the same challenges you are going to and they all started the same place you did.

You think your private lessons are all you need? I am sorry to say just private lessons alone will not make you a successful social dancer very fast. What you learn and do in your private lessons and what you experience in group classes and practice parties are quite different.  When you go to a group class or a party, you are dancing without your instructors personal help.  Not to mention everybody dances differently; social dancers come in different heights, have different personality, style, speed, etc. Being able to dance with any person any style and still have fun is what social dancing is all about isn't it?  You will learn real life dancing etiquette because fellow dance students will not be able to accommodate you like your teachers can.  Other students are trying to figure out what they are doing just as hard as you are so you will be challenged to do your part at the best of your ability.

Think about why you started taking dance lessons to begin with.  You wanted to feel comfortable at weddings and other social events, right?  Well don't let those events be the first time you will ever dance in front of people.  Make sure you practice in the controlled environment.  Practice Parties are exactly that.  Try out new moves. Bump into other couples.  Get stuck in a spot.  Forget everything you learned so do a basic move throughout the whole song.  Who cares!  People right next to you are experiencing the same challenges.  Let those moments happen at the studio during group classes and parties.

So what if you and your student partner make a mistake?  We laugh!  There is no need to feel bad or be hard on yourself or each other.  Go ahead, make mistakes.  You will be a better partner to the next new dance student. Believe me your instructors do not want you to be perfect in group classes, they just want you to experience social dancing and have a good time. 

Group classes and practice parties are a fantastic resource and we hope you try as many as you can! 

For more information about group classes offered at your studio please talk to your instructors. 

-Kimi Mabry (Fred Astaire Owner/Instructor Northbrook) 

A-Day Wrap Up!

Of all of the exciting events that our Fred Astaire Illinois region holds, there is one that provides a truly unique experience and that would be our annual A-Day!  Every year we host a Broadway style show that allows all of our talented students to shine in a different light; stage lights that is! Our Broadway inspired show “Ballroom Blitz” allows students from the entire region to get together and demonstrate a different style of dancing. While most routines are still structured around a traditional foxtrot, rumba, or other type of popular ballroom dance, the show allows student to add lifts, tricks, and even a dip or two. But before the stage lights are lit and the costumes are assembled, we all gather at one of our studios to compile our plans and begin bringing them to life. This year our Burr Ridge location was the lucky host! There was a lot of buzz as the students started to file in being greeted by teachers donning their red, black, and white attire for our “SMASH” themed professional show.  The day started off with mimosas in hand and a gorgeous banquet table full of doughnuts, sushi, fresh fruit, and a plethora of other delicious foods. We were honored to have the talented Steven Knight and Eddie Apolonov there to coordinate with all of the teachers and the students to help find the perfect songs and create a solid vision for each individual’s routine. It was a blast when each student would emerge from their personal meeting with the choreographers and announce what they would be performing! You couldn’t miss it because each time the students would come out they were greeted by a cheer and rushed to the mirror to have a mini photo shoot with everyone. If being in a show or simply having the opportunity to do a custom dance performance is something that’s always interested you, our Broadway Ballroom production is the perfect event for you to live out your dream. Thank you to all of the students and the professionals for coming out for a fun day of line dances, new goals, and a non-stop party. I can’t wait to see what everyone will be performing this year!! 

-Taylor Rompel ( Fred Astaire West Loop Pro Dancer)

From “Scared to Dance at Prom” to “Social Butterfly” - My Cinderella Story

From “Scared to Dance at Prom” to “Social Butterfly”

- My Cinderella Story

Why I'm thankful that I was pulled out of my comfort zone!

Why should you go out of your way to bring your friends as Guests to the    

  local Fred Astaire Dance Studio?  Well, I can tell you without the     

  persistent and insistent invites of my friends I never would have found the 

  one thing I'm the most passionate about, Ballroom Dancing!

  I grew up in a family that did not dance or participate in many social

  events.  My senior Prom was the first dance I attended.  I didn't know how

  to dress flatteringly, I felt awkward dancing with anyone, and refused to dance by myself.  I wasn't an athlete, or a dancer as a child, and felt as though I would only embarrass myself more if I attempted to dance. 

During my first semester of college I had many friends who were a part of the Dance Club at my school.  They invited me at least once a week to join them for their weekly meeting and I went out of my way to refuse.  All I really knew about dancing was that you danced close to a man, and that I surely wouldn't be good at it.  I had never really danced in my life, and my interest was to become a better musician.

As I started my second semester of college, I realized I didn't have many friends.  As my friends  continued to invite me to the Dance Club over the next month, I asked them question after question about it.  What time?  Where?  How many people? Who's the teacher?  Do you pick who you dance with?  Will I look stupid since I don't know anything?  My friends reassured me that I would be fine, that I could walk in with them, and they would dance with me.  I finally made the best decision of my life and gave it a shot.

That one decision, after being invited 15 times over 5 months has changed the course of my life! 

As soon as I tried dancing I realized the connection, the communication, and the physical interaction with music was something I could enjoy, relate to, and pursue!  Within two years of starting on my dancing journey, I began wearing more flattering clothes, realized I could be the life of the party, and held myself in a more confident and upright manner!  Ultimately, after 13 years I have become the healthier, more social, more confident, and more fashionable person I always envisioned for myself.  Through dancing I have had the opportunity to be a star, to meet many amazing and interesting people, to compete with some of the best in Fred Astaire Illinois, and share my passion with so many others!

Thank you to my friends who didn't give up on me, but instead pushed me to do something good for myself.  They pushed me out of my

comfort zone, so I could experience the art, sport, and passion of Ballroom Dancing!

Don't leave your friends out, invite them to try dancing, and be responsible for introducing them to the many benefits of Ballroom Dance!                 
 - Amy Ross (Fred Astaire Burr Ridge Pro Dancer)